indoors and busy herself with her new task.
The gas-fire could be turned on in her room whenever she desired, and at
every spare moment she ran upstairs, locked her door behind her, and
began to write. Robert insisted that the work should be kept secret,
and that not a word should be said about the competition downstairs, for
he was sensitive about the remarks of his companions, and anxious to
keep a possible failure to himself. All the work had to be done
upstairs, therefore, and the frequent absence of the partners from the
schoolroom, though much regretted, did not seem at all inexplicable to
the others. It was understood that Peggy and Robert had some interest
in common; but as winter advanced this was no unusual occurrence in a
house where Christmas was a carnival, and surprises of an elaborate
nature were planned by every member of the household. It was taken for
granted that the work had some connection with Christmas, and inquiries
were discreetly avoided.

With an old calendar before her as a model for the lettering, Peggy did
her work neatly and well, and the gilt "arabesques" had an artistic
flourish which was quite professional. When Robert was shown the first
half-dozen sheets he whistled with surprise, and exclaimed, "Good old
Mariquita!" a burst of approval before which Peggy glowed with delight.
It had been agreed that, after printing the first ten days of January,
Peggy should go on to the first ten of February, and so on throughout
the year, so that Rob should be able to use what quotations had already
been found under each heading, and should not be detained until the
whole thirty or thirty-one had been chosen.

The partners were most fastidious in their selection at the beginning of
their work; but when half the time had passed, and not one-third of the
necessary number of quotations had been found, alarm seized upon the
camp, and it was realised that a little more latitude must be shown.

"We shall have to use up all the old ones which we struck off the list,"
said Rob disconsolately. "I'm sorry; but I never realised before that
three hundred and sixty-five was such an outrageously large number. And
we shall have to get books of extracts, and read them through from
beginning to end. Nearly two hundred more to find; a hundred and fifty,
say, when we have used up those old ones! It will take us all our
time!"

"I'll get up at six every morning and read by my fire," said Peggy
firmly. "I